Library's outdoor bookmobile brings books - and friends - to 13 stops around Hamilton

Eager readers can't go inside the big blue bus and browse like they used to, but Hamilton Public Library's Bookmobile is a pandemic-era lifeline to those looking to read and chat. 

And for loyal Bookmobile clients, getting books outdoors is still better than the dark days of last spring and summer, when the roving reading room was removed from the road.

Helen Macmillan, 70, was waiting eagerly when service restarted mid-September. She had been "making do" with the books she had at home, or with what she could find in the Little Free Library boxes in her neighbourhood.

Now, the Stipley resident is at the Adelaide Hoodless school bookmobile stop almost every week. 

"I love it… It's very handy," said Macmillan, who lives five minutes from the Bookmobile stop. "I get movies, CDs, magazines, whatever." 

The resumption of service has brought the library back to neighbourhoods across the city, says librarian Sarah Sorensen, who coordinates outreach programs for HPL. It makes 13 stops — including at rural locations such as Millgrove and Rockton — either weekly or every two weeks, depending on the location.

Reaching out

While the bus itself is off limits, users can reserve books online and pick them up outside. It's an attractive option in an era where many are choosing to spend less time indoors with others. "It's a very safe way to engage with the library," Sorensen says.

The library also launched a new service in January called "Grab and Go Bags," which are available at the Bookmobile. Users fill in a form online to tell librarians a bit about themselves, what kind of books or other items they like, and how many items they want. Then the librarians prepare a treasure trove of surprises for pickup. So far, 2,503 of the bags have been assembled.

Sorensen says the bags are among several new initiatives at the library meant to engage people stuck at home. HPL is also offering a service it calls Visiting Library, where a fresh selection of materials is mailed to homebound people each month, free of charge.  

Numbers are down at the Bookmobile since COVID. There were 17,305 visits in January and February last year, compared to 4,253 in the same timeframe this year. However, certain stops have embraced the service during the pandemic, with an increase in new members visiting the Garth Trails and Strathcona Apartment stops compared to recent years.

Hamiltonians who would like to use the Bookmobile but don't have a library card can sign up online.

Like any other friend

Sorensen says that resuming Bookmobile service in the fall made it clear how much people in the community appreciate the service. And it isn't just about books. They also enjoy the interaction with drivers Denise Chaston and Shannon McIlree and library pages Stephanie Bontoft and Victoria Kranjc.

"One of the most powerful exchanges that I've had over the last year was watching the way that the Bookmobile members and Denise greeted each other at the first stop in September when they hadn't seen each other for several months," said Sorensen.

"There was so much joy, there were tears on both sides, and they were so happy to reconnect… To me, it was such a powerful demonstration of how well the Bookmobile staff know their Bookmobile members and how treasured it is to the people in the communities it serves."

For Macmillan, visiting the Bookmobile is always a nice chance to catch up and chat.

"They ask how you're doing," she said. "They are social. They're just like any other friend."